The Magic Whistle
by Kenna1990
Summary: Cavan is unaware that his enemy, Caeth is planning to overthrow him and take over his kingdom, but the plans are overheard by Thunder, a comrade of Cavan's ally, Lightning. Will Lightning be able to warn Cavan in time?
1. Prologue

**The Magic Whistle**

**Prologue**

Nestled deep within the Emerald Mountains, and hidden deep in a valley between the highest peaks, lay the Silver Kingdom. Her capital city, Glasshaven, sat across the two banks of a river known to the outside world as the Crystal River. Here, in the Silver Kingdom, it was known as the Cobalt River, so named for its deep blue waters. In some places, the water could be mistaken for black. Glasshaven took up both sides of the river; the two halves were connected by several bridges and a dirt road leading up to the single shallow ford. Houses and small shops lined the riverfront, and one could see at first glance where the class line divided.

On the western bank, the poorer folks lived in small houses; some were no better than shacks or lean-tos. The tallest homes on that bank were two stories, a very sharp contrast to the upper-class eastern bank. Glasshaven's nobility lived in huge homes made one white stone; not a one of them was smaller than three stories. Most were higher, with balconies on every level hanging out over cobblestone streets. If one followed the streets, any street, they would eventually find themselves in the market square; in the center lay a large, sprawling fountain of a man holding his cupped hands out; the water poured from them to splash at a pool at his feet. The man's finely crafted robes and the detailed crown on his head marked him as the king.

North of the village, just inside the walls of the city, a mighty castle stood. Its towers crafted of great grey stones, the castle's wrought iron gate hung open, and the brass handles waited for the guards to close them come nightfall. The courtyard inside the gate was little more than a wide open space filled with decorated plants and more fountains. The largest of these fountains stood in the middle of the yard.

The man from the city fountain, the king, stood with his arm wrapped around a woman with a kind, gentle face. His other hand rose into the air above his head; the woman, the queen, leaned against him, smiling up as water cascaded from the king's hand, and rainbows flashed everywhere.

* * *

Inside the castle, the rainbows didn't vanish. Each room was a blast of color, from rich purples to bright yellows and oranges that would hurt the eyes were they not so beautiful. One such room, the dining room, where the king currently sat with his family, was filled with contrasting colors, reds and blues and purples and greens.

A long blue carpet covered most of the wooden floor, and the mahogany table set brought out the deeper shades of red from the tapestries and stained glass on and in the walls; now, of course, the table was laid with a white cloth for dinner, but a vase filled with flowers brought some color even there. On either side of the vase sat two candles, their bright orange flames dancing merrily in the gentle breeze from an open window.

Three children, two boys and a girl, sat playing with the remains of their dinner as their parents chatted softly. A servant interrupted the quaint scene, a scared look on his face; he walked smartly up to King Caeth. "Your Highness!" he cried. "I have an urgent message!" He bowed to the king and his wife, holding out a folded piece of paper for Caeth's eyes. He accepted the message, read it, and closed his eyes when he was done. He took a deep breath and stood.

"Sorcha, children?" he asked. His wife and children glanced up at him. "Leave at _once_!"

Sorcha nodded and spoke to her children. "Come, children, your father must talk with the other knights." Her sons, Jarlath and Dahy, followed her out of the room; her daughter, Ryanne, stayed put. At the door, Sorcha turned and motioned for her daughter to come with her. Ryanne stubbornly looked from her mother to her father, and then back again.

Caeth looked at her and said as gently as he could, "Ryanne, my sweet angel, go with your mother." She huffed, stared at him a little while longer, but finally left the room with her mother. Another servant came in and cleared their plates away. Once she had gone and Caeth knew his family was out of earshot, he yelled for his lead general. The man entered immediately- 'H_e must have been waiting,_' Caeth thought, grinning- and bowed to his king. "Gather my generals at once!" It didn't take Kothu long to gather them all, and soon they stood in a ring around the dining table.

Caeth pulled out a map that a servant had brought for him while the generals gathered and laid it on the table. He tapped it absently as he addressed his men. "It has come to my attention that King Cavan has decided our peace treaty no longer applies to him." The generals sighed and shook their heads. Caeth ignored this. "Therefore I see it as only fitting to attack his kingdom and annihilate him. End this nuisance once and for all!"

All the men except a small handful cheered at this; one of those who remained silent rose.

"But what about that wolf that protects Cavan's kingdom?" he asked. Another man looked at him oddly.

"Lightning?" He snorted derisively. "That fleabag doesn't stand a chance!"

"But he isn't alone!" the first man insisted. "He has a friend, Thunder."

"What can two wolves alone do?" Caeth slammed his fists down on the table; the men froze and stared at the king as he glared at each of them in turn. "Those wolves may not be strong alone, but they will bring their packs together, and they will come up against us." He sighed and rubbed his face. "And they will defeat us, just like they did before!" His generals looked around at each other, puzzled.

Another stood again. "Is there any way to stop them?" he asked.

Caeth looked up again with an evil smile. "Yes, there is".

* * *

Unbeknownst to the men, a black wolf sat in the cobblestone walkway of the back courtyard. Thunder's golden eyes were fixed to the open dining room window; he could hear Caeth talking to his men inside. Unfortunately, he wouldn't get any more chances to listen to their plans; his ears twitched. Pounding footsteps sounded from behind him. Thunder turned to see two guards and two dogs running at him.

The dogs snarled at the lone wolf; their handlers turned them loose, and they bolted at Thunder, growling and howling. '_Maybe now is a good time to go…_' Thunder thought. He bolted out of the courtyard with the dogs and guards close on his heels. They stayed behind him all the way to the forest's edge, but Thunder's black pelt hid him in the shadows of the trees. The wolf vanished from sight, and the guards refused to risk death in the forest.

* * *

Thunder ignored the frustrated howls of the dogs behind him and ran deep into the forest. Eventually, he came to a halt, panting from his exertions, at the feet of a brown wolf with bright green eyes. Lightning was waiting for him. "What did you find out?"

"Caeth is going to attack Cavan's kingdom."

Lightning huffed. "When?"

Thunder rolled his shoulders in a parody of a shrug. "I don't know," he said. "The guards chased me out before I could learn anything more." Lightning sighed and walked away; Thunder followed him. They walked in silence until the rising sun's light touched their coats and his daytime warmth broke the moon's chill. They stopped on a rise outside the forest's other edge and stared down into Cavan's homeland, the Bronze Kingdom. Lightning looked at his companion.

"It will be a while before Caeth reaches here," he said. "In the meantime, we must keep watch on Caeth and his men." Thunder chuffed in confusion.

"How can we warn Cavan if both of us are watching Caeth?"

Lightning nipped his second's shoulder. "Thunder, take your pack and watch Caeth. I will go down there," he pointed his black-speckled snout at the city below, "and warn Cavan." He tore his eyes from Thunder's and looked back down into the Bronze Valey. "We must do whatever it takes."

**CHAPTERS 1-6 WILL BE UPLOADED JULY 31**

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	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Outside of the dining hall door stood a young ten-year-old boy. The boy was small and had short brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing blue pajamas. He was Caeth's youngest son, Dahy. He had one ear pressed against the door listening to his father talking to the knights. Suddenly, he heard footsteps walking towards him and turned around and saw his older brother, Jarlath, walking towards him. He was sixteen-years-old and had dark brown hair and green eyes. He too, was wearing pajamas. Jarlath approached his brother.

"Dahy, what are you doing?" He whispered softy into his ear. Dahy silently stepped away from the door and gave him the 'what does it look I'm doing' look. Jarlath sighed and whispered, "You know we are not allowed to listen in on Father's plans. Come, it's time for bed." The young boy huffed and followed his brother down the candle-lit hall to their room.

Once they got in the room, Dahy climbed up on his bed and looked at his brother as he left his bedside. "Jarlath, Father is planning on taking over Cavan's kingdom!" he yelled. Jarlath sighed, turned around and gave his brother a hard look.

"Dahy, keep your voice down, you'll wake up Ryanne." He walked back to Dahy's bedside.

"Sorry…." Dahy whispered. The two boys sat and talked for a bit and then they heard a knock at the door. "Come in". Ryanne walked into the room. She was a young child of six, had blue eyes and long wavy brown hair; she was also wearing a light blue nightgown. She looked at her brothers and gave them a sad look. Jarlath sighed as she started crying.

"I don't want Daddy to leave," Ryanne cried out with tears flowing down her cheeks. Jarlath motion her to come to them. She walked over; Jarlath tried to explain to her that their father had to leave and that fighting is what he does, but that only made her eyes pour out even more tears thinking about the danger their father puts himself in. Jarlath picked his sister up and held her in his arms. Ryanne curled up in his lap and he started to hum a lullaby to her.

_Suanmhar sìtheach go là_

_`measc na lilì__`sna mblàth_

_Go mbeir-se__a stòr_

_gan__tuirse__gan__bròn_

_seoithìn seò uilleò lò, seoithìn, seò__`s__tu mo mhaoin_

The crying eventually stopped and she fell into the peaceful embrace of slumber and dreams. Jarlath carried her back to her room and put her back in her bed and walked out back to his room.  
He looked at Dahy, then out the window and said, "I hope Father knows what he is doing…"

* * *

Back in the dining room, Caeth finished his meeting with the generals and knights and sent them away. As he walked out, he noticed Sorcha standing in the hallway. She was leaning against a pillar wearing a purple robe and her black hair came down to her waist. She smiled at the king and walked over to him, placing a hand on his bearded chin.

"How did it go my love?" she asked and he smiled.

"It went very well." He replied, wrapping both arms around her waist. "Now that my royal business is done, why don't we go have a little fun?" he asked in a sexual tone and the queen chuckled.

"As you wish my king…" she whispered back and he led her down the hallway to their room.

The room was made of mahogany wood and there were doors that led out to a small balcony. The bed was black iron with a soft mattress and pillows. The covers, sheets, and pillows were blood red.

The couple entered the room and Caeth closed the door, locking it. He led Sorcha to the bed and as she lay down, he laid ontop of her. "Now, let's see what you have under that robe…." He said, untying it and as it fell off, he smiled at the sight of his mate's sheer purple nightgown. "Beautiful." He whispered, continuing, "Now let's see what you have underneath…" The queen smiled and slipped off the gown, revealing her well-endowed breasts.

"Send me to the stars once again my love…." She whispered and he gave a sexual smile.

"With pleasure my dear." He said and began to massage her breasts. She let out low-toned moans as he twisted her nipples. He then began to suck one, while still massaging the other and his mate's moans grew louder. "Now for the real fun…." He whispered as he sat up, unbuckled his pants, revealing his manhood and lowered himself down again, slowly pushing into his mate. As the mating ritual continued, the king was unaware that deep in the forest, a pack of wolves were making plans of their own.

* * *

Back in the forest, Lightning and Thunder stand before their pack inside the cave. Lightning was stand on top of a large rock looking at the packs. Thunder stands on a slightly smaller rock pedstel. In front of them sitting in a semicircle audience, the pack members of Lighthing and Thunder sit listening to their Alpha Leader.

"Brothers and Sisters, we have called you here tonight because Caeth has betrayed the wisdom of his forefathers and advisors. He plans to attack our pack ally." Lighting stated as the other wolves looked at each other and mumbled amongst themselves.

Thunder raised his voice over the chatter saying "SILENCE EVERYONE!" Thunder turned to Lighting, "My pack will come with me and we will keep watch on the Caeth and his foolish men. Lightning your pack will stay here and protect Cavan's kingdom. You must be his pack's guardian."

Lightning jumped off his rock and the other wolves stood at attention as he paced in front of them, following his movements with their eyes. Lighting stands firm and says, "This will be dangerous, but we must do whatever they can to protect Cavan, his family, and the kingdom, so one day peace will be restored to our lands." A small ray of moonlight shine through the small hole at the top of cave. Lightning's pendant glows a beautiful blue green glitter in the moonlight.

"Brothers and Sisters it time to go may our ancestors watch over us" As Lighting's pack began to leave, Thunder said to his pack, "We will meet here tomorrow." He jumped off his rock and followed Lightning outside of the cave. Their packs went back to their caves as Thunder and Lightning followed behind them. As Thunder walked in the direction his pack had gone, Lightning called out to him, "Be careful. Ceath the Betrayer will kill you on site. Be safe my brother," Thunder nodded in agreement and raced off after his pack.

Lightning walked into his cave and saw his cubs playing with each other. There were seven of them, four females and three males. The females, like their mother, had light brown fur and blue eyes. Their names were Blaze, Terra, Kaze and Star.

Blaze was the oldest female cub. She had a dark brown stripe starting at the top of her head and went down her back to the tip of her tail. The collar around her neck was orange and had a red amulet. Star had a star-shaped patch of dark brown fur on her forehead. Terra had mostly dark brown fur, but her paws were a lighter brown. She also wore a red collar with a black stone amulet. Kaze was mostly light brown, but her legs were a darker brown.

The males looked like their father, but also had different markings. The youngest male, Patch, had a light patch of brown fur around one his eyes. Another male, Logan, was older than the other cubs. He was about the size of his mother and had a dark brown stripe going down his forehead to his nose. Kori, was another small male. He has the same markings as his father, the fur on the top half of his body is dark brown, the fur on the bottom part of his body is light brown.

Star, upon seeing her father, bounded towards him and as he sat down smiling at her, she jumped up at him, trying to get him to play. The other cubs ran over to join her, barking and yapping. Patch climbed up his father's back and tried to bite his ear, but missed and fell off. Lightning chuckled as Hawnu, his mate, appeared from the shadows of the cave. She was a smaller brown wolf with light brown fur and blue eyes. "Children, leave your father alone." The cubs obeyed their mother and ran back into the shadows of the cave to finish their little game.

Lightning chuckled again and said, "You've always had a way with them." She chuckled back at him, and nuzzled his neck. He rested his head on top of hers and she asked him "How was the meeting?" He told her everything Thunder had told him, plus what happened at the meeting. Hawnu sighed and looked up at him. He looked down at her and said "I have to. Protecting Cavan's kingdom is my job. My father passed it down to me."

She nuzzled his neck again. "I know just….please be careful." He leaned his head against hers. "Don't worry." He placed a paw on top of one of hers. "I will."

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	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A Painful Memory**

**A/N: The scene in italics is Hawnu's memory of when she lost two of her cubs.**

As the sun began to rise, Lightning stood up and stretched. He walked over to Logan, and nudged him, whispering, "Logan, come son. It's time to go." The wolf stood up, groggy and mumbled to himself as he followed his father out of the cave.

They continued walking and after a while, Lightning looked at Logan and said "Son, you know about my duties to the king." Logan nodded and his father continued, "It is a responsibility that has been passed down from father to son in our family for generations.

They reached a hill overlooking the kingdom. "For many years, I have been the protector of this kingdom." Lightning continued. "But one day, my time will be done, and you will be the next protector." Logan looked at his father, confused.

"Me?" Lightning nodded and Logan looked down at the small kingdom. "Father…I don't think I can…"

His father smiled and placed a paw ontop of his. "Son, you can do it."

Logan sighed. "Shouldn't one of my younger brothers do it?"

Lightning shook his head, no. "It is tradition. If the current protector has more than one male cub, the oldest takes on the responsibility when his fathers' time has passed." He noticed a worried look on the cubs' face and reassured him, "And you will meet Cavan's son, Ciaran. He is next in line to be king."

Logan looked at his father and he went on to explain, "When the son of the king and the son of the protector become friends, an alliance is formed. We are obliged to protect the royal family and their people."

"Does the king have any enemies Father?" the young wolf asked. Lightning nodded and stood up. "Yes…one."

Logan gulped and asked, "Who is it?"

Lightning replied with a hint of anger in his voice, "Caeth."

Logan then noticed a hint of hurt on his father's face. "Father, is something wrong?" The wolf regained his composure and explained to his son that Caeth was not only Cavan's enemy, but his as well.

When Logan asked why, his father said, "I will explain later. We must head back home." The two turned around and headed back to their cave.

Back inside the cave, Hawnu was busy nursing the two youngest cubs; Star and Patch. Blaze and the other cubs were outside playing. Kaze's ears perked up and she turned around to see her father and older brother. "Father! Logan!" she howled, running toward them. Lightning smiled and nuzzled his daugher's face. Logan walked into the cave and approached his mother.

Star and Patch finished sucking and ran off to play with each other, pouncing. Hawnu chuckled as the two rolled around and then started to chase each other. She turned around and saw Logan looking at her. "Hello son."

"Hey Mother." Logan replied. The mother wolf stood up and walked over to him.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Mother?"

"Yes?" Hawnu replied and Logan took a deep breath before proceeding to ask his question.

"Why are Caeth and Father enemies?"

His mother sighed and turned away. "He did something terrible, something that your father and I have never forgotten…" Logan walked up to her.

"What did he do?"

She turned around and looked at him with tears in her eyes, "You and Blaze had two other littermates…"

Tears gathered in Logan's eyes. "What happened to them?"

"The four of you were playing in the forest and Caeth had sent his dogs to sniff out the area. They found the four of you and chased you, cornering you. Lightning and I tried to protect you but…"The tears that had gathered in her eyes feel down her face as she recalled that heart-breaking moment.

* * *

_Hawnu and Lightning heard the distress howls of their cubs and knew something was wrong. They raced towards them and saw one of the dogs had grabbed Moon by his neck and was biting down hard. Tears rolled down Hawnu's face as she heard the bones in her son's neck break and blood began to run down his throat. Stardust spotted her mother and bolted from her hiding spot, but was grabbed by another dog. He shook her a few times, then threw her against a tree. The young cub let out a yelp as she slammed into the tree and fell to the ground. _

"_NOOOOO."_ _Hawnu cried as she dashed out from the bushes and attacked the dogs. Lightning rushed in behind her and tackled the dog who was hurting Moon, causing the cub to fall to the ground. The two dogs fought hard, but soon realized that they were fighting two angry parents and with tails between their legs, they ran off. _

_Panting, Hawnu rushed over to Moon and laid down beside him. She gently nudged the young male with her snout, but he didn't move. Lightning approached Stardust and with one look, he knew his daughter was gone. His ears dropped to his muzzle as he gently picked her up and carried her to her mother laying her by her brother. Heartbroken, Hawnu nuzzled her two cubs and began to cry. A noise a few inches from Lightning made his ears perk up. He walked over to a bush and saw Logan and Blaze were still alive. They ran over to their mother who nuzzled them as a tear ran down her face. "At least I didn't lose you two…." She whispered._

* * *

"You and Blaze were the only ones we were able to save…" Logan's heart was filled with both grief and anger.

"Mother…" he said with a hint of iron in his voice. Hawnu turned around, looked him and he placed a paw on top of hers. "Caeth will pay for what he did to our family…I will make sure of that…"

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	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**THUNDER'S RISKY MISSION**

The next morning, a mist covered the entire kingdom. At the castle, Caeth's men were waiting for him to give the signal to leave. As the king walked out of the castle, he turned around and walked up to his family. He bent down in front of his daughter, Ryanne, who threw her arms around her father and cried "Don't leave Daddy!"

He hugged her and whispered to her, "I'll be back darling. I promise."

He then looked at Dahy and said "Be good son, take care of your sister." Dahy nodded as his father turned to Jarlath. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder and said "Son, you are in charge while I'm gone. Take good care of your mother, brother, and sister."

Jarlath nodded and replied "I will Father." He then turned to his wife and compassionately kissed her.

She whispered to him "be safe" and he whispered back "I will." He turned around, walked down the steps, mounted his horse and rode out of the gate with his men right behind him. Ryanne cried as she watched her father ride off. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling this was the last time she would ever see him.

* * *

Deep in the forest, a pack of wolves gathered to leave. The alpha male, Thunder, lead the pack. Before they left, he gave this warning: "Stay out of sight. Caeth and his men will not hesitate to attack us. They also have dogs. Do not let the dogs see or hear you."

With that, he turned around and started to walk away. Lightning ran up in front of him and said "Brother, remember, do not fight unless it is necessary. You are to watch them and report back here." The black wolf nodded and howled. He disappeared into the forest with his pack behind him.

* * *

Caeth and his men reached the camp. There were over a hundred tents scattered about and a huge fire was burning in a pit in the middle. Some men were standing around the fire. Others were sitting down, drinking and laughing.

The king dismounted his horse and walked up to the men. They stood up and saluted him as he and the rest of the platoon approached. He looked at Kothu, one of the generals and motioned for him to follow. The two walked in silence until they reached the king's tent. They walked inside and sat at a table, Caeth on one end, Kothu at the other.

"So Kothu."

"Yes sir?" the man replied.

"Have you scouted the forest?" the king asked as the man nodded.

"Good. Any signs of that fleabag?" The man shook his head and explained that several men scouted the area, but there were no signs of the wolf or any of his comrades. Little did they know that, hidden in the shrubs behind their tent, Thunder and his pack were spying on them.

Concealed in the bushes, a pack of wolves watched the men. Thunder whispered to the wolf next to him, "Remember, we are only here to spy on them. Do not attack unless they attack us first." The other wolf nodded. They lay down and watched as the men talked and drank. A few minutes later, other members of the pack walked up to them. One of them pulled Thunder aside.

"How many have you seen?" the alpha asked.

"At least a dozen." The wolf replied as Thunder sighed. "That makes over a thousand men, counting the ones we have seen." The wolf went on to explain that the men have brought dogs with them. When Thunder asked how many, the pack member said "not many, but they look very strong…"

Right at that moment, one of the dogs walked towards where Thunder and his pack were hiding. "Stay down and don't move." The wolf leader whispered as the animal crept closer. Thunder peeked through the bushes and saw that it was a Doberman. It sniffed the air, but because of all the other scents in the air, did not pick up Thunder and his pack. The wolves relaxed and as soon as the dog walked away, Thunder whispered, "Everyone, back to the cave. We must tell Lightning."

The wolves nodded and they headed back to the cave where Lightning was waiting for them.

* * *

Thunder and his pack reached the cave and saw Lightning lying in the mouth. The wolf stood up and walked over to them. "What did you see?" he asked. Thunder told him about the men and the dogs.

Lightning sighed, "How many dogs were there?" Thunder told him there were not many but they did look tough and mean. The brown wolf sighed again and looked up at Thunders' pack.

The wolves stood at attention as the leader spoke. "Brothers and sisters, your next assignment is to keep a very close watch on Caeth. As soon as you hear when he plans to attack Cavan, report back to me immediately." The wolves nodded and Lightning dismissed them. As they left, he turned to Thunder and said, "Brother, I want you to keep my cubs as far away from those dogs as possible, especially Star and Patch. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Logan and Blazes' littermates." Thunder nodded and replied, "I will do my best." As he turned to leave, Lightning called out, "Thunder, this mission is very important. The fate of Cavan's kingdom depends on us. We must not fail."

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	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

**A Happy Family**

The sun rose over the mountains above a small kingdom, the Royal Kingdom which was nestled in a valley behind a large hill. Just over the hill, was the wall surrounding the village. It was massive in size and had six watch towers. The village inside the walls was very large. Past the village square were the homes. The peasant homes were made out of wood and brick. The nobles homes were made out white stone and were four to five stories high.

Just outside the village were large golden gates. Beyond the gates was a beautiful courtyard with many colorful flowers. In the middle of the courtyard was a fountain.

Sunlight seeped through the curtains and into the bedroom of the king and queen. As the light moved into the room, one could see that the walls were a beautiful white with gold trimming. Off to the far right was a white fireplace with pictures displayed on the mantle. Across from it was a large wooden bed. The sheets were satin, white in color and the cover was red velvet. Inside the bed lay two figures.

As a small ray of sun moved over the bed, the covers moved, revealing a man of forty-five with blonde hair and a blonde mustache. He yawned and stretched, rolling over and smiling at his wife, who was asleep next to him. She was a year younger than him and had long wavy red hair. The red satin nightgown she wore made a soft rustling noise as she turned over.

Her green eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. He smiled back and kissed her saying, "Good morning love." He stroked her cheek. "Did you sleep well?" She nodded, giggling softly and kissing his bearded chin.

Their romantic moment was interrupted when the two younger children, Aine and Ciaran, came running into the room. Aine was a cute little five-year-old girl with blond hair and blue eyes and wore a pink satin nightgown. Her seven-year-old brother, Ciaran, had red hair and green eyes like their mother. He was wearing green striped pajamas.

They jumped onto the bed, landing on their father. Meara laughed as the two began tickling Cavan. He turned around and grabbed them, standing up and spun them around in a circle. The two kids laughed and giggled as their dad fell backward onto the bed dizzy.

"Good morning Daddy." Aine said, smiling at her father as he slowly sat up. "Good morning Dad." Ciaran said. Cavan smiled and said good morning to both of them. Meara sat on the edge of the bed and as she stood up, her red nightgown feel down to her ankles and she put on a robe and headed out the door. "Mom, wait up!" the little boy called out as he ran after his mother. The king laughed, stood, picked up his daughter and walked down the hall.

* * *

Inside the dining room, Ciara was sitting at a long oak table, waiting for her family. She was a beautiful young girl of sixteen with strawberry blonde hair and bright green eyes. The nightgown she wore was satin, royal purple in color, and she wore white satin slippers.

The table she sat at had 16 chairs placed around it. There was a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the center of the table and two candles on both sides. The rug under the table was an oriental rug. A large oak china cabinet was on the wall next to the table. It was filled with beautiful plates, glasses and bowls.

Ciara heard footsteps coming towards her and turned around. She saw her mother and brother walking towards her, her father and sister following behind them. Smiling, she stood up and greeted them as they came into the room.

"Good morning Father, good morning Mother."

Cavan and Meara smiled at their daughter replying, "Good morning Ciara." The king walked over and sat Aine down in her chair, Ciaran moved to his and Cavan and his queen sat down. Cavan said a prayer and the family started to eat.

After a few minutes of silence, the five-year-old spoke up. "Daddy?" Cavan looked at her as she continued, "When we are done, may we go outside and play?" Her father smiled and nodded. Aine smiled and once she finished her breakfast, she ran up to her room to get ready to go play, Ciaran right behind her.

Cavan looked at Ciara, "Dear, would you go with your sister and brother?"

The princess nodded, replying, "Yes father." She finished eating and then excused herself, but before she left, she kissed her parents on the cheek and went to go help her brother and sister get ready. They were completely unaware of the event that would soon fall upon them.

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	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

**THE MAGIC WHISTLE / THE FIRST WARNING**

The sun shone brightly over the three children as they ran out into the back yard. Aine ran up the hill to a small patch of dandelions, her gold hair gleaming in the sunlight. The wind played with the hem of the green dress she wore as she sat down in the middle picking a few. Ciaran drew his wooden sword and began swinging and stabbing at an invisible enemy, the wind ruffling the red shirt he was wearing. His blue jean pants swishing as he fought. The oldest, Ciara, walked up to a tree and sat down, reading a book. She wore a blue dress with white trim and black shoes.

Aine began tying the dandelion stems together, making a crown. Suddenly, something shining in the grass caught her attention. Curious as to what it was, she set her crown down and walked towards the object. She knelt down and picked up; it was a gold whistle that hung from a chain of the same color. It also had a lightning bolt engraved on one side.

Ciaran looked up and saw his sister sitting in the grass. He finished his pretend battle and walked up to her calling, "Aine!" She turned around as her brother approached her. "What are you looking at Sis?" he asked as she stood up and showed him the whistle.

Ciara looked up from her book and saw her brother and sister looking at something. She called out to them, "Aine! Ciaran! Come here!" The two ran down the hill toward her and once they reached her, she asked what they were looking at. Aine handed her the whistle and she looked at it.

The little girl then asked her older sister, "What is it for?" Ciara looked at her and shrugged, responding, "I don't know, but Father might. Lets' go show him what you found." The two youngsters nodded and the three of them headed back into the castle to find their father.

* * *

Cavan sat in his winged chair reading a book in his library, an oriental rug laid under his chair. The walls were an emerald green with gold trim. A large circular window stood at the opposite end of the room from the door, looking out onto the front courtyard. Shelves of books encircled the room.

There was a knock at the door and the king looked up from his book, "Who is it?" Ciara answered Cavan closed his book, "Come in children." The three walked in and Ciara told her father that Aine had found something. He looked at the five-year-old asking, "What did you find my dear?"

She showed him the whistle and he smiled. "It has been a very long time since I have seen this." He said, taking it. The young princess looked at him confused and he motioned for them to sit with him. Cavan sat back in his chair, picking up Aine and setting her in his lap; Ciara and Ciaran moved to the small couch off to the side.

Cavan then said to them, "This is no ordinary whistle. A long time ago, I used it to summon a particular wolf. His name is Lightning." Ciara looked up and saw two stained glass windows, one was of her father, the other was a wolf.

"Is that him Father?" she asked pointing to the second one and her father followed her gaze and smiled.

"Yes, that is him." He replied, handing the whistle back to Aine. "All you have to do is blow it and he will come." He explained as the little girl looked at the whistle, then at the window of the wolf. At that moment, Meara walked into the room.

"Love, children, dinner is ready." She called and Cavan, Ciara and Ciarn left, only Aine remained, staring at the window. "Aine, dear are you coming?" her mother asked, breaking her from her trance.

"Yes Mommy." The little girl replied and as she followed her mother to the dining room, she thought to herself, _What made this wolf so special that he has a stained glass window of himself?_

The family sat in silence as they ate their dinner. Aine, already full, began playing with her food much to the annoyance of her older sister who glared at her. "Sis, a princess does not play with her food." Ciara said and the five-year-old stuck her tongue out. "Or stick their tongues out at their older sisters!" she yelled and the child glared back at her.

"You are not Mommy so you don't tell me what to do." Aine said and Meara looked at both of them.

"Ciara, Aine stop fighting and eat your dinner." She said and the two girls sighed and nodded.

"Daddy, why are you friends with that wolf?" Aine asked and her mother, brother and sister looked at Cavan, waiting for his reply.

The king finished his bite of steak and sighed, looking at his daughter. "Well my dear, you see…." He was interrupted as a servant knocked on the door.

"Your Majesty, there is a man who wishes to speak with you." He called through the door and the king sighed.

"Meara, children, please leave. I must speak with our guest alone." He said.

"But Daddy…." Aine whined and Cavan smiled at her.

"I will explain that later my child." He said, hugging his daughter. "Now please go." He replied and Meara ushered the children out. Once they were gone, he ordered the servant to let the visitor in.

The door opened and a man twenty years of age walked in. He had jet black hair and hazel eyes. The clothes he wore resembled that of the nobility status.

He bowed and the king smiled. "Welcome, please have seat." He said, gesturing to the chair next to him.

"Thank you Your Majesty." The young man replied and sat down. As he moved past, Cavan caught the distinct smell of smoke.

"Are you camping somewhere nearby?" the king asked and the man shook his head.

"The village I am from was burned down…." He said with a slight growl as he clenched his fists.

"I am sorry for your misfortune, is your family alright?" Cavan asked.

"Yes. We were the only ones who were able to escape." He replied, giving the king a hard look. "Be weary Your Majesty, for your greatest enemy has set out to destroy you and your wolf allies." The king's eyes grew huge at that remark.

"Caeth….has returned…." Cavan responded with a hint of anger in his voice. The man nodded. "If I may ask, what is your name young man?" the king asked and the man stood up.

"My name is Derin." He responded. "I came to warn you about Caeth. My business here is done. Thank you Your Majesty." Derin said as he bowed, turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Cavan alone.

_My family is in grave danger…._

**COMMENTS AND REVIEWS APPRECIATED!**


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

**AN OLD ALLY**

The sun shone brightly into the children's room. The walls were cream colored and had red trimmings. The curtains were also red and a large circular gold rug was in the middle of the room. Three iron beds were in the far end of the room. The left bed had white sheets and pillows with a purple blanket. The right bed had green sheets and pillows with a gold blanket. The middle white sheets and a large pink blanket with white pillows.

Aine was the first to wake up as the sunlight moved over her. She groaned, slowly opening her eyes and after a few seconds of rapid blinking, she sat up and yawned.

A few seconds later, she crawled out of the bed and got dressed. After buckling her overalls, she walked over to her sister, who was just waking up. Ciara turned over and saw her sister standing next to her with a comb, brush and hairbands in her hands. The sixteen-year-old sighed, knowing what her little sister wanted. She sat up, took the items and motioned for her sister to turn around. Using the comb, Ciara parted her sister's hair and pulled both sides up into two ponytails. After she finished brushing, Aine put on her tennis shoes and picked up the whistle as she walked towards the door.

"Aine, where are you going?" the older sister asked and the child sighed, turning around.

"I am going outside." She responded and before Ciara could ask another question, Aine walked out the room.

* * *

Aine sat in the shade of an old oak tree, staring at the whistle in her hand. The sunlight gleamed off it as she turned it around, looking at it. _All you have to do is blow it and he will come._ Her father's voice echoed in her mind as she studied the object. She thought for a minute, looked around, held the whistle to her mouth and blew. A loud whistling noise filled the air, then silence. She was about to blow it again when a bush nearby began to rustle. The movement startled the young princess and she turned around, losing her balance, falling backwards. She sat up, facing the bush. "Who….who's there?" she called out and a giant brown wolf stepped out. Aine crawled backwards, away from the animal as it moved forward.

The wolf stopped, lowered its head and as he raised it up, Aine noted a red collar with a lightning bolt pendant. "Are you…..Lightning?" she asked and the wolf smiled.

"Yes young princess." Lightning replied and Aine gasped.

"You can talk?!" She said and the wolf chuckled.

"Where is your father?" the wolf asked, a sudden sense of urgency in his voice. "I must speak with him immediately."

"Umm, he is at home…" Aine told him, slightly confused.

"Take me to him." Lighting asked and Aine gave him a suspicious look.

"What is going on?" she asked and the wolf looked at her.

"You will find out when I tell your father." Lightning replied and he hunched down and nodded towards his back. Aine slowly approached and climbed ontop of the wolf's back. As soon as she was on, the wolf bolted towards the castle.

* * *

Back at the palace Cavan, Meara, Ciara and Ciaran were eating breakfast. The king looked at his older daughter and asked, "Ciara, where is Aine? She usually never misses breakfast." Ciara finished her bite of blueberry pancakes and looked at her father.

"She went outside Father." she replied and her father immediately knew why. Before he could ask another question, the door burst open and Aine rushed in.

"Daddy!" she called running up to her father. "You were right, Lightning does respond to that whistle!"

_He's here….._Cavan thought as he walked over to his daughter. "Where is he baby-girl?" he asked and she pointed down the hall.

The king and his children walked down the hall and saw Lightning waiting for them at the end. Ciara gasped and Ciaran stopped. The wolf approached them and Cavan led them into the throne room. The room had green walls with gold trim and there was a raised platform at the far end of the room with two thrones. Aine was the first to break the silence. "Daddy, how do you know Lightning?" her father and the wolf smiled at each other.

"Sit down and we will tell you." Cavan said and the children sat down, Aine and Ciaran on the small couch and Ciara on the chair across from her siblings. The king cleared his throat before speaking. "Your grandfather was king at the time and he had become very good friends with a wolf, Lightning's father, Snow. Their friendship was so strong that the wolf and his pack would always come to the aid of the king whenever there was a battle or if the kingdom was in danger. That is when your grandfather decided to make Snow the Protector." He paused and looked at his son. "I was your age when I met Lightning."

The wolf continued, "The tradition has continued for generations and still holds true to this day. Very soon young prince, you will meet my son, Logan and when the time comes, you will take your father's place as King and Logan will take mine as the Protector." After a while, Cavan spoke up.

"Children, I would like to speak with my old friend alone." The two older children nodded and left, but Aine stayed, frowning.

"But Daddy…." She whined and Lightning chuckled. Cavan walked over to his daughter and gently pushed her towards the door.

"Sweetie, you can finish talking to him when I am done ok?" he opened the door and she huffed, stomping off. As soon as she was gone, the king closed the door and turned back to his friend. "It's good to see you again old friend." He said with a smile and the wolf smiled back.

"It is good to see you too." He replied and gave a serious look. "Cavan, there is something you must know."

"What is it?" The king asked, slightly nervous. Lightning took a deep breath before explaining.

"Your enemy, Caeth is planning to take over your kingdom." Cavan's eyes widened. _This is what the man last night was warning me about…._

* * *

Outside the room, Aine was kneeling down with her ear pressed against the door, her nightgown trailing on the floor. As soon as she heard Lighting mention Caeth, she stood up and bolted down the hall towards her room.

Ciara and Ciaran were sitting on their beds dressed in their pajamas talking when Aine burst through the door. Both siblings looked at their little sister as she stopped to catch her breath.

"What did you hear sis?" Ciaran asked and the little girl looked up at him.

"Caeth…is…going…to…attack…us…" she said and her siblings looked at each other.

"Are you sure?" Ciara asked and Aine nodded. Sighing, the teenager walked over to her little sister. "Aine, you don't need to worry about things like that." She said and the child gave her a hard look.

"But Sis….." she was interrupted as her sister gently coaxed her to her bed.

"Aine, Father is going to have fight, but you know he is strong and he has Lightning and his pack to help him." Ciara explained and Aine calmed down a little but couldn't help wondering Caeth was going to attack them.

* * *

"When is he going to attack?" he asked and his friend sighed.

"I don't know. I sent Thunder to find out, but Caeth's guards chased him away before he could find out." Noticing the worried look on Cavan's face, he continued, his voice strong. "I have sent Thunder and his pack to spy on Caeth at his camp. As soon as they hear when, they will report back to me and I will tell you." The wolf looked around the room and sighed. "The last time I was here was after…." At the thought of that painful memory, he sat down and clenched his eyes shut, holding back tears. Cavan sighed, walked over, kneeling down beside the animal and placing a hand on his shoulder. Lightning looked up at Cavan and gave a small smile.

"At least Blaze and Logan survived." Cavan said, trying to cheer up his friend and Lightning nodded.

"I just hope Star and Patch do not meet the same fate…." He whispered and looked out the window, unaware that history was about to almost repeat itself.

**COMMENTS AND REVIEWS APPRECIATED!**

**CHAPTERS 7-9 WILL BE UPLOADED NOVEMBER 30. **


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